A very helpful guide to anyone serving as Chair, Director, or Executive Director of a Board. It is a tricky position with positional influence rather than formal power and challenging to do well even for those with significant experience. The authors outline a number of specific areas where most Chairs can improve their impact.
Great article, useful for all boards, not just nonprofits. Item #3 listed what may be rewarding to directors. Rewards may also include (a) rubbing shoulders with other senior people and (b) being listened to by the executive director and management team (i.e., impact).
This is an excellent piece. This line was especially resonant. "Boards need succession plans too, for chairs and all committees." Far too often, Board Chairs focus on the status quo and not what is coming around the corner. Building everyday for the future you want is crucial. Thank you Mark and Jon.
Jon/Mark - Many thanks for taking the time to share this big dollop of distilled wisdom. Any board chair following your guidance will be on the road to super. I have already passed this to some in my orbit.
In a future article, I would be interested in more specifics on the strategic guidance from a board needed so the organization, as you say, "delivers social impact that can cascade down the generations." You guys deal well with leadership transition but comment less on designing and building for contributing over the longer haul. The other great practice I would suggest is creating opportunities (and expectations) for the board to get to know the organization’s programs and tap the voices of their beneficiaries. Boards that do this well are much more effective.
I thought this piece was excellent. Having chaired several Boards over time, I could see that Mark and Jon had aggregated best practices in chairing Boards from their vast experience. I particularly appreciated the call to ensure that Board members feel included especially at a time when most of us are striving to diversify our Boards to more accurately reflect the communities we serve.
This is great - packed with practical ideas. If only I’d had this 10 years ago! Succession planning is challenging and particularly like the suggestion of dividing into emergency and long term plans.
I find the very first bullet on the very first point to be in very real conflict with the next two bullets, which stress diversity and inclusion. "Starting on time shows respect" is a value statement that is specific to one’s culture. I would petition the authors and anyone reading this article to be conscious of cultural biases that may not apply across the board (literally and figuratively) when considering how to be effective, especially as pertains to encouraging involvement and belonging in members who may not share the same cultural background.
I’m exhausted. Besides recognizing how many mistakes I’ve made (compared to your specific and pointed examples of superhuman chairing), I’ve noted specific take-aways from your article. Thank you.
Especially after reading your article, the biggest challenge might be for a reader to prioritize the points you laid out, given their board and organization. So much to (attempt to) master.
Served on a Board with Mark and John, seeing these principles applied in actual practice. Not only did I see the tactics listed translate to an effective Board, but the culture created kept me interested and motivated for over 15 years as a Board member. One tactic in particular triggers a memory of when, in its life cycle, Board members had to be put on notice in terms of their engagement and effectiveness. An uncomfortable thing to do, but it was extremely effective as we moved forward.
I agree with the prior comment that this article is useful guidance for board chairs of organizations other than nonprofits. Each of the tactics covered by the authors includes items that are transferrable to for-profit company boards, and having just completed participation in our company’s third board meeting of 2020, I am reminded that there is always room for improvement.
Fantastic article. A Chair’s power is not straightforward but the role has the potential to fundamentally determine the legacy and impact of any social organisation. This article is a thorough summary of how to realise the role’s potential.
Hi Kate. I agree that agreements on time need to respect everyone’s culture, so that everyone feels respected and is respected. I’ve found that some of the most disruptive board members are those from a culture of privilege who turn up late and disrupt the meeting explaining that "my time is valuable" or "I came from a very important meeting". Sometimes they come from a very hierarchical corporate culture which is so different from the inclusive culture that super board need.
This is a brilliant and useful guide. I have not been a chair person but I have worked with many boards of directors to help them drive their business forward via branding, marketing and sales. The skills mentioned above are very similar to the the requirements I have experienced and I will be trying out some new ones too! Thanks for sharing.
As a former board chair of three different non-profits, I think that Huggett and Zitter hit the nail on the head of for what makes a great board chair. This article should be required reading for all current and incoming board chairs. Thank you for writing such a great article.
This is a compelling and valuable guide for board chairs, other board members and non-profit (and other) leaders alike. I am a current board chair, former c-suite leader and current executive coach to many c-suite leaders. From the simple yet important ideas (e.g., run a great meeting and people will want to be a part of it) to the powerful ones that people (myself included) often don’t think of (e.g., create a value proposition for each member), this guide is a terrific resource. Thanks, Jon and Mark!
Really fantastic article. If only this wisdom was read and implemented by all chairs!!
Which brings me to my question…if you aren’t this type of board chair, how should the executive director and/or other board members work to turn things around? I’ve seen chairs that don’t build trust and engage the full board from both sides (as an ED and board member) and the unspoken damage it does is extremely high. But in both cases the chair seemed completely unaware of the problem and though that because they were highly engaged that they were doing a great job. I’d love to hear your thoughts as I suspect that being willing to read this article has a high correlation with already being disposed to be a good chair.
Great article Jon and Mark, a credit to your massive experience base and (I am sure) many slips along the way as well!
What you have written here is a manuel for all boards and governance bodies I would say. I know I will personally use this as I prepare my next Amnesty International Council meeting, which I now chair.
Just one thought, as you know I also work in the Private Equity and Financial Advisory space - if I am chairing I often shock my fellow bankers by suggesting we start with a 5 minute silent mindful meditation exercise, and of course always leave the all important 10 minutes at the end of the meeting for reflection on what went well and what could have been better etc - both quite challenging and often confront processes!
Thanks, Lindsay. If the chair thinks that they have a problem, there is probably a way forward: they can read this article, they talk to other chairs, they work with other board members. If the chair does not think that they have a problem, and think that everyone else has a problem, then someone needs to talk with the chair. Best person to do this is probably a senior, independent director. They can tell the chair that they have lost the confidence of much of the board and staff, and that the chair needs to act to rebuild that confidence. If the chair still does not own the problem, a group of directors need to deliver the same message, and perhaps escalate the issue to a vote. The ED is not the best person to deliver this message. This is not a message to delay. Left alone this sort of lack of confidence can be corrosive.
Lindsay, thanks for you question. I agree with Jon’s comments and have one other suggestion I’ve seen work in practice: Bring in a pro bono consulting group to review Board practices. Many of the large consulting firms offer such pro bono services, as do most top business school alumni associations. This can be positioned with the chair as a fabulous way to get free advice on how to make the Board the best it can be. Good consultants will interview the chair, ED, and directors; praise the chair in the final report so it won’t feel threatening; and also recommend needed changes. Analysis and recommendations coming from an expert third party usually are more powerful and less fraught than those raised internally.
This is one of the most valuable (and accessible) essays I’ve read on board chair excellence. It will be hitting the inboxes of many in my ecosystem. Thanks, Jon and Mark for composing a hit parade of board chair dos.
Great article, which could also double as a role description when recruiting for a new chair.
So often expectations are assumed rather than explicit and board members perceive their value proposition to be limited to their professional expertise which can be quite different to the reason they’ve been invited to join.
Given so many of us have had to rapidly shift to working and meeting remotely I’d be interested in whether there’s anything you’d add to this for super chairing in that context?
Gemma, you make a great point. Given that one of the most important and visible responsibilities of a chair is to run the Board meetings, Super Board chairs currently must be excellent at running virtual meetings. It’s more than doing what always has been done but in a Zoom format. While that’s a whole other article, some key recommendations are: have tech support on hand before and during each meeting; encourage everyone to have their cameras on; and make heavy use of the Chat box and polling functions to increase engagement. I’ve found that judicious use of breakout rooms and screen sharing also can be extremely valuable. The Chair need not be a Zoom expert, but should understand both the challenges and potential of virtual Board meetings and should identify the necessary resources to assist in designing and managing productive virtual meetings.
Gemma you ask a super question. It is almost worth another article! I’ve chaired boards on Zoom with scattered across different continents. It does require a lot of attention to detail to create the right culture for collective decision making. Not everyone is comfortable with video. Connections can be sketchy, and hard to hear if people don’t mute their mikes. People can tune out if they feel spoken over or if they want to check their email in the background. But in some ways it is easier to chair on Zoom: I can see everyone with one glance, and I don’t have to twist my neck. I can be easier to facilitate the discussion, ensuring everyone has a fair say. And side chatter is not a disruptive as in a real meeting. The skills are a little different, while the goals are the same. How does that fit with your experience?
Your responses are exceptionally helpful. If I were to boil it down, my takeaway is that to get a "bad*" board chair to reflect and hopefully update their practice, they need to be approached by someone with either power or influence (e.g. "a senior independent director," a "group of directors," or a "pro-bono consulting group").
From a practical perspective, I think you are entirely spot on - and looking back, that’s the only way I’ve seen it work.
However, speaking frankly, as a relatively young woman I find that a disappointing reality is that on the boards where I have served I am often there, despite my experience and background, with the unspoken role of providing diversity which in today’s climate is, sadly, often the implicit antithesis of power and influence.
As a result, I worry that "good" boards and chairs will continue to reflect and refine to become even better but that "bad" chairs will drive away diversity as those who see the problems lack the power and influence to make the changes.
*note: I am using bad as a poor shorthand intended to represent - un-inclusive, dictatorial or disrespectful board chairs.
Jon and Mark, belated kudos on this wise, well thought-out and beautifully written article!! Having had the honor of serving for several years as ED at an organization chaired by Jon himself, I’d add a tenth point implicit in the piece and a hallmark of Jon’s leadership: Never stop learning. Do so with humility and humor. Yes, those of us who step up to the leadership plate must be possessed of clear vision and decisiveness. At the same time, we must embrace and welcome the knowledge and wisdom of each of our colleagues, as we must be inspired by one another’s passion for the cause.
This is a great article that merits a few reads! As a relatively new board chair and a longer standing trustee, it touches on so many of the things that feel important from both perspectives. I’ve picked up several tips which I’m sure I could be doing more of, or in many cases even start doing!
I’d have loved to hear more about how board chairs work to build high performing cultures that don’t shy from conflict but remain respectful too. Lots of successful executive teams have high levels of vulnerability trust, and that can be hard to replicate in boards that meet infrequently, even with the odd social in the mix.
I’m particularly focused on how boards can attract and truly be a positive space for young trustees. I think that brings a whole ream of additional challenges and opportunities.
COMMENTS
BY Ken Kannappan
ON August 25, 2020 08:59 AM
A very helpful guide to anyone serving as Chair, Director, or Executive Director of a Board. It is a tricky position with positional influence rather than formal power and challenging to do well even for those with significant experience. The authors outline a number of specific areas where most Chairs can improve their impact.
BY Stephen Edelson
ON August 25, 2020 05:19 PM
Great article, useful for all boards, not just nonprofits. Item #3 listed what may be rewarding to directors. Rewards may also include (a) rubbing shoulders with other senior people and (b) being listened to by the executive director and management team (i.e., impact).
BY Dan Cohen
ON August 26, 2020 10:26 AM
This is an excellent piece. This line was especially resonant. "Boards need succession plans too, for chairs and all committees." Far too often, Board Chairs focus on the status quo and not what is coming around the corner. Building everyday for the future you want is crucial. Thank you Mark and Jon.
BY MICHAEL LEVITAN
ON August 26, 2020 11:21 AM
Jon/Mark - Many thanks for taking the time to share this big dollop of distilled wisdom. Any board chair following your guidance will be on the road to super. I have already passed this to some in my orbit.
In a future article, I would be interested in more specifics on the strategic guidance from a board needed so the organization, as you say, "delivers social impact that can cascade down the generations." You guys deal well with leadership transition but comment less on designing and building for contributing over the longer haul. The other great practice I would suggest is creating opportunities (and expectations) for the board to get to know the organization’s programs and tap the voices of their beneficiaries. Boards that do this well are much more effective.
BY Danny Grossman
ON August 27, 2020 08:46 AM
I thought this piece was excellent. Having chaired several Boards over time, I could see that Mark and Jon had aggregated best practices in chairing Boards from their vast experience. I particularly appreciated the call to ensure that Board members feel included especially at a time when most of us are striving to diversify our Boards to more accurately reflect the communities we serve.
BY Dan Berelowitz
ON August 27, 2020 10:57 PM
This is great - packed with practical ideas. If only I’d had this 10 years ago! Succession planning is challenging and particularly like the suggestion of dividing into emergency and long term plans.
BY Kate
ON August 28, 2020 09:16 AM
I find the very first bullet on the very first point to be in very real conflict with the next two bullets, which stress diversity and inclusion. "Starting on time shows respect" is a value statement that is specific to one’s culture. I would petition the authors and anyone reading this article to be conscious of cultural biases that may not apply across the board (literally and figuratively) when considering how to be effective, especially as pertains to encouraging involvement and belonging in members who may not share the same cultural background.
BY Jason Lorber
ON August 29, 2020 11:15 AM
I’m exhausted. Besides recognizing how many mistakes I’ve made (compared to your specific and pointed examples of superhuman chairing), I’ve noted specific take-aways from your article. Thank you.
Especially after reading your article, the biggest challenge might be for a reader to prioritize the points you laid out, given their board and organization. So much to (attempt to) master.
Thank you. Extremely well done.
BY Richard J Montwill
ON August 30, 2020 10:04 AM
Served on a Board with Mark and John, seeing these principles applied in actual practice. Not only did I see the tactics listed translate to an effective Board, but the culture created kept me interested and motivated for over 15 years as a Board member. One tactic in particular triggers a memory of when, in its life cycle, Board members had to be put on notice in terms of their engagement and effectiveness. An uncomfortable thing to do, but it was extremely effective as we moved forward.
BY Maia Singer
ON August 30, 2020 05:08 PM
I agree with the prior comment that this article is useful guidance for board chairs of organizations other than nonprofits. Each of the tactics covered by the authors includes items that are transferrable to for-profit company boards, and having just completed participation in our company’s third board meeting of 2020, I am reminded that there is always room for improvement.
BY Tom
ON August 31, 2020 12:08 AM
Fantastic article. A Chair’s power is not straightforward but the role has the potential to fundamentally determine the legacy and impact of any social organisation. This article is a thorough summary of how to realise the role’s potential.
BY Jon Huggett
ON August 31, 2020 12:32 PM
Hi Kate. I agree that agreements on time need to respect everyone’s culture, so that everyone feels respected and is respected. I’ve found that some of the most disruptive board members are those from a culture of privilege who turn up late and disrupt the meeting explaining that "my time is valuable" or "I came from a very important meeting". Sometimes they come from a very hierarchical corporate culture which is so different from the inclusive culture that super board need.
BY Michael Murdoch
ON September 1, 2020 02:25 AM
This is a brilliant and useful guide. I have not been a chair person but I have worked with many boards of directors to help them drive their business forward via branding, marketing and sales. The skills mentioned above are very similar to the the requirements I have experienced and I will be trying out some new ones too! Thanks for sharing.
BY Brian Kaye
ON September 4, 2020 03:59 PM
As a former board chair of three different non-profits, I think that Huggett and Zitter hit the nail on the head of for what makes a great board chair. This article should be required reading for all current and incoming board chairs. Thank you for writing such a great article.
BY Alan Gellman
ON September 6, 2020 03:32 PM
This is a compelling and valuable guide for board chairs, other board members and non-profit (and other) leaders alike. I am a current board chair, former c-suite leader and current executive coach to many c-suite leaders. From the simple yet important ideas (e.g., run a great meeting and people will want to be a part of it) to the powerful ones that people (myself included) often don’t think of (e.g., create a value proposition for each member), this guide is a terrific resource. Thanks, Jon and Mark!
BY Lindsay Levkoff Lynn
ON September 10, 2020 10:02 AM
Really fantastic article. If only this wisdom was read and implemented by all chairs!!
Which brings me to my question…if you aren’t this type of board chair, how should the executive director and/or other board members work to turn things around? I’ve seen chairs that don’t build trust and engage the full board from both sides (as an ED and board member) and the unspoken damage it does is extremely high. But in both cases the chair seemed completely unaware of the problem and though that because they were highly engaged that they were doing a great job. I’d love to hear your thoughts as I suspect that being willing to read this article has a high correlation with already being disposed to be a good chair.
BY Stephen Moss
ON September 10, 2020 04:17 PM
Great article Jon and Mark, a credit to your massive experience base and (I am sure) many slips along the way as well!
What you have written here is a manuel for all boards and governance bodies I would say. I know I will personally use this as I prepare my next Amnesty International Council meeting, which I now chair.
Just one thought, as you know I also work in the Private Equity and Financial Advisory space - if I am chairing I often shock my fellow bankers by suggesting we start with a 5 minute silent mindful meditation exercise, and of course always leave the all important 10 minutes at the end of the meeting for reflection on what went well and what could have been better etc - both quite challenging and often confront processes!
BY Jon Huggett
ON September 11, 2020 01:16 AM
Thanks, Lindsay. If the chair thinks that they have a problem, there is probably a way forward: they can read this article, they talk to other chairs, they work with other board members. If the chair does not think that they have a problem, and think that everyone else has a problem, then someone needs to talk with the chair. Best person to do this is probably a senior, independent director. They can tell the chair that they have lost the confidence of much of the board and staff, and that the chair needs to act to rebuild that confidence. If the chair still does not own the problem, a group of directors need to deliver the same message, and perhaps escalate the issue to a vote. The ED is not the best person to deliver this message. This is not a message to delay. Left alone this sort of lack of confidence can be corrosive.
BY Mark Zitter
ON September 11, 2020 11:57 AM
Lindsay, thanks for you question. I agree with Jon’s comments and have one other suggestion I’ve seen work in practice: Bring in a pro bono consulting group to review Board practices. Many of the large consulting firms offer such pro bono services, as do most top business school alumni associations. This can be positioned with the chair as a fabulous way to get free advice on how to make the Board the best it can be. Good consultants will interview the chair, ED, and directors; praise the chair in the final report so it won’t feel threatening; and also recommend needed changes. Analysis and recommendations coming from an expert third party usually are more powerful and less fraught than those raised internally.
BY Cydnee Dubrof
ON September 14, 2020 02:20 PM
This is one of the most valuable (and accessible) essays I’ve read on board chair excellence. It will be hitting the inboxes of many in my ecosystem. Thanks, Jon and Mark for composing a hit parade of board chair dos.
BY Gemma Rocyn Jones
ON September 15, 2020 05:46 AM
Great article, which could also double as a role description when recruiting for a new chair.
So often expectations are assumed rather than explicit and board members perceive their value proposition to be limited to their professional expertise which can be quite different to the reason they’ve been invited to join.
Given so many of us have had to rapidly shift to working and meeting remotely I’d be interested in whether there’s anything you’d add to this for super chairing in that context?
BY Mark Zitter
ON September 15, 2020 01:35 PM
Gemma, you make a great point. Given that one of the most important and visible responsibilities of a chair is to run the Board meetings, Super Board chairs currently must be excellent at running virtual meetings. It’s more than doing what always has been done but in a Zoom format. While that’s a whole other article, some key recommendations are: have tech support on hand before and during each meeting; encourage everyone to have their cameras on; and make heavy use of the Chat box and polling functions to increase engagement. I’ve found that judicious use of breakout rooms and screen sharing also can be extremely valuable. The Chair need not be a Zoom expert, but should understand both the challenges and potential of virtual Board meetings and should identify the necessary resources to assist in designing and managing productive virtual meetings.
BY Jon Huggett
ON September 16, 2020 03:11 AM
Gemma you ask a super question. It is almost worth another article! I’ve chaired boards on Zoom with scattered across different continents. It does require a lot of attention to detail to create the right culture for collective decision making. Not everyone is comfortable with video. Connections can be sketchy, and hard to hear if people don’t mute their mikes. People can tune out if they feel spoken over or if they want to check their email in the background. But in some ways it is easier to chair on Zoom: I can see everyone with one glance, and I don’t have to twist my neck. I can be easier to facilitate the discussion, ensuring everyone has a fair say. And side chatter is not a disruptive as in a real meeting. The skills are a little different, while the goals are the same. How does that fit with your experience?
BY Lindasy Levkoff Lynn
ON September 18, 2020 04:44 AM
Dear Jon and Mark -
Your responses are exceptionally helpful. If I were to boil it down, my takeaway is that to get a "bad*" board chair to reflect and hopefully update their practice, they need to be approached by someone with either power or influence (e.g. "a senior independent director," a "group of directors," or a "pro-bono consulting group").
From a practical perspective, I think you are entirely spot on - and looking back, that’s the only way I’ve seen it work.
However, speaking frankly, as a relatively young woman I find that a disappointing reality is that on the boards where I have served I am often there, despite my experience and background, with the unspoken role of providing diversity which in today’s climate is, sadly, often the implicit antithesis of power and influence.
As a result, I worry that "good" boards and chairs will continue to reflect and refine to become even better but that "bad" chairs will drive away diversity as those who see the problems lack the power and influence to make the changes.
*note: I am using bad as a poor shorthand intended to represent - un-inclusive, dictatorial or disrespectful board chairs.
BY Neil Grungras
ON October 17, 2020 03:06 AM
Jon and Mark, belated kudos on this wise, well thought-out and beautifully written article!! Having had the honor of serving for several years as ED at an organization chaired by Jon himself, I’d add a tenth point implicit in the piece and a hallmark of Jon’s leadership: Never stop learning. Do so with humility and humor. Yes, those of us who step up to the leadership plate must be possessed of clear vision and decisiveness. At the same time, we must embrace and welcome the knowledge and wisdom of each of our colleagues, as we must be inspired by one another’s passion for the cause.
BY Peter Babudu
ON November 22, 2020 02:23 AM
This is a great article that merits a few reads! As a relatively new board chair and a longer standing trustee, it touches on so many of the things that feel important from both perspectives. I’ve picked up several tips which I’m sure I could be doing more of, or in many cases even start doing!
I’d have loved to hear more about how board chairs work to build high performing cultures that don’t shy from conflict but remain respectful too. Lots of successful executive teams have high levels of vulnerability trust, and that can be hard to replicate in boards that meet infrequently, even with the odd social in the mix.
I’m particularly focused on how boards can attract and truly be a positive space for young trustees. I think that brings a whole ream of additional challenges and opportunities.
BY Rob Acton
ON December 6, 2020 03:24 PM
Outstanding. Great summary of the role!